Leg lock assembly



May 18, 1954 L. c. SCHAEFFER LEG LOCK ASSEMBLY Filed Jan. 28, I952 FIE zYZ- INVENTOR LEW\S C- SCHAEFFER ATTORNEY Patented May 18, 1954 LEG LOCK AS SEMBLY Lewis 0. Schaeifer, Fremont, Ind, assignor, by

mesne assignments,

Dallas, Tex.

Application January 28, 1

2 Claims.

This invention relates to leg support structures and has particular reference to demountable tripod leg support structures for culinary implements, such as vegetable and fruit juice extractors, or kitchen utensils for slicing and cutting articles of food.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a leg support structure composed of component parts which can be readily demounted to facilitate storage or packaging and which are capable of being readily erected and secured in assembled condition to form a rigid and robust leg stand structure capable of supporting the body part of culinary or like apparatus as above mentioned.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention, residing in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts will appear clear from a consideration of the following detail description with reference to the accompanying drawings and from the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. I is a plan view of an erected tripod leg assembly in accordance with the invention, with the outer end portion of one leg component being broken-away for ease of illustration and the vertical pedestal portion of the central leg part shown in section,

Fig. II is a vertical section on the line II--II of Fi I,

Fig. III is an elevational view looking upon the outer end of the right-hand leg component as seen in Fig. I,

Fig. IV is an enlarged fragmentary section of the leg locking lug and recess construction involved in the invention,

Fig. V is a view looking upon the outer end of one of the horizontal arm portions of the pedestal and showing the channel in which the inner end portion of a leg member is capable of being inserted, and

Fig. VI is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the leg members.

Referring to the drawings, It indicates a vertical pedestal having a central vertical screwthreaded bore I2 in its lower end, where the pedestal is curved outwardly and formed with three horizontally extending arms, indicated at It and disposed in substantially 120 angular relationship.

Each arm [4 is of channel section as seen in Fig. V, and defines a semi-cylindrical exterior surface and an interior elongated channel it open to the bottom of the pedestal l and to the outer end of each arm 14 for the accommodation of one-half Schaeffer and oneehalf to Harry Lemmons,

to said Lewis G.

952 Serial No. 268,643

2 and introduction of the inner end portion I8 of a separately formed leg component 20 having a downwardly directed outer end portion 22 with a reduced pin-like extremity 24 upon which a base cap 26 is secured.

Each leg portion i8 is provided on its upper surface with a lug 28, which may be of frustoconical form as shown and is adapted to engage in a correspondingly shaped recess 38 in the bottom surface 32 of the pedestal l0.

Each said leg portion 18 is of reduced width, as clearly seen in Fig. I, and defines, with its outer leg portion 20, side flange portions 34 which merge into an upper transverse flange portion 36. These side flanges present surfaces inclined to the vertical, whereas the upper flange portion presents a vertically extending surface, with respect to which the said side flange surfaces may be inclined downwardly and outwardly away therefrom at substantially 30. The outer end of each pedestal arm l4, besides presenting an opening for the introduction of the inner end portion l8 of a leg component 20 into the elongated slot It, also defines upper transverse and vertical side surfaces, 3| and 33 respectively, corresponding to the aforesaid surfaces of the leg flange portions 34 and 36. The construction and arrangement is such that these leg and arm surfaces can have wedge-like engagement with one another to hold the legs 20 horizontally fixed with respect to the pedestal It.

The frusto-conical lugs 28 may conveniently have an apex angle of approximately and are held locked in their respective recesses 30 by a screw-bolt and collar assembly as seen in Fig. II, the screw-bolt 38 being secured in the threaded bore l2 and carrying a nut 42 which is actuatable to tighten the collar ii! against th inner end portions of the leg portions It. With the nut 42 actuated to hold the inner ends of the legs 20 upwardly with respect to the pedestal Ill, as seen in Fig. II, by the wedge engagement of the lugs 28 in their recesses 30, and the outer end portions of the legs being prevented from downward movement due to the Wedge engagement at the surfaces 34, the entire leg assembly is thus held rigidly assembled upon the pedestal Ill but is readily capable of being dismantled by the simple loosening of the nut 42.

To assemble th legs 20 the same are introduced into their respective channels l5 and the lugs 28 engaged in the recess 30 and the leg and arm surfaces 3|, 33, 34 and 3B engaged with one another. Then, by tightening the nut 42 the lugs 28 are wedged into their recesses 30 and at the 3 same time the surfaces 3l-36 ar held firmly together, with the lugs 28 holding the legs against lateral displacement relatively to such surfaces and the pedestal l0.

Having thus described my invention in respect to one practical form thereof by way of example, what I claim as novel and wish to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. A demountable pedestal and leg assembly comprising a vertical pedestal member having horizontal radiating arm portions in its lower extremity, said arm portions having horizontally extending channels, said channels being open at the bottom and at their outer ends and having an upper closed surface with vertically tapered openings, said arm portions having their outer ends formed with a transverse upper and vertical edge surfac and opposite side edge surfaces inclined downwardly and outwardly from said upper edge surface, said edge surfaces defining the open outer ends of said channels, separate leg portions and horivertical and opposite side edge surfaces formed and inclined to correspond with the said end edge surfaces on said radiating arms, and said inner leg portions having vertical tapered lugs corresponding to said tapered holes for fitting thereinto upon assembly of the legs upon the pedestal.

2. A demountable pedestal and leg assembly as claimed in claim 1, said inner leg portions having an inclined upper surface portion extending downwardly from said vertical edges defined between said inner and outer portions of the horizontally extending leg portions, and the upper surfaces of said channels having correspondingly inclined surfaces for engagement by said inclined leg surfaces.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

